Goal Setting 101: How To Ensure A Successful New Years Resolution!

Goal Setting 101: How To Ensure A Successful New Years Resolution!

Goal Setting is an important part of your Muay Thai, BJJ, Boxing, Fitness and Martial Arts Training

It’s that time of year again and time to set some New Years goals. Whether it be fitness, martial arts, personal, or financial, we all have areas in our life where we would like to improve. However it can be very difficult to make a New Year’s resolution stick without goal setting. I used to fall into the New Year’s resolution trap every single year. That year would be my BEST year: My best Muay Thai progress, my best Boxing progress, my best BJJ progress, I would create larger than life goals that would stick for a bit, then fizzle out before I knew it.
However, over the past few years, I have come across a few strategies that work for me and my goals. These strategies will help you stick to both your short term and long term goals.

OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS I’VE HAD SUCCESS WITH:

-Writing my goals down. This is the most important component to goal setting. Separate and organize your goals by short-term and long-term. Create bite-sized goals that are easy to attain, and more challenging goals that you might have to work at for a few months. I like to use a journal to do this, but you can use whatever you have handy.

-Suspend reality and think big. Don’t filter, qualify or judge. Give yourself permission to dream big. What would you go for if you knew success was guaranteed? What’s your secret ambition? What have you always wanted to do, but have been too afraid?

-State in the positive and personal. There is a huge difference between “I want,” and “I am.” When creating a goal, use “I am” to reinforce what you want to move towards, and set a date to it. For example, “I am ready for Muay Thai, MMA, and/or Boxing fighter tryouts by July 1st, 2017.”

-Be sure the goals are YOUR goals. Many people set goals they think they should have, rather than it be what they truly want. Answer the questions like: Are these things I truly want? Will achieving them make my life better? Are they sustainable for the rest of my life? Are they stepping stones to creating the life I’ve always wanted? The answer to all of these questions has to be a YES.

-Checking back in throughout the year. I like consistency here. Check back in daily, weekly, and monthly. Reviewing and keeping your goals in check will always ensure that you’re making progress. Goal setting is something I now do fairly often throughout the year, not just at the beginning of a new one. It’s an excellent way to hold yourself accountable and keep pushing for even more success. I have still not achieved every single goal I have for myself, and that’s okay. I maximize and celebrate on the success’ I have had so far, and keep working for what I still want. Here are a few tips I use to “keep going” when I feel myself losing motivation.

THE MOST POWERFUL STRATEGIES I’VE COME ACROSS ARE:

-The power of momentum. Once you start going, it’s easier to keep going. The key is figuring out how to use momentum to help you, rather than hinder you.

-Changing how you perceive challenges. A good example, in the case of training, is telling yourself that you enjoy learning a new technique, rather than viewing it as a hardship.

-Focusing on one day at a time. Some days will be better than others, that’s a fact. Focus on each day at hand and don’t let a small setback become a larger failure.

So, go write down your goals for 2017! Make them big, but realistic. Focus on your small goals first and build momentum from there. Check back in as often as you can and celebrate your small success’ as much as your big ones!